A sentencing hearing has again been scheduled for a Rocky Harbour man who has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from having sexual relations with a minor.

After pleading guilty to single counts of sexual interference and breaching probation, John Frederick Scott fired legal-aid lawyer Jamie Luscombe prior to his June 30 sentencing. He has now retained legal aid counsel Barbara Barker out of St. John’s.

She represented him via telephone, and he appeared via video conference, when the matter was called in provincial court in Corner Brook Wednesday. The 43-year-old, who has consented to staying in jail, is now scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 28.

Scott was facing a total of 31 charges stemming from sexual relations he had with a girl under the age of 16 over a 15-month period from June 2012 to September 2013. The other 29 charges — six more counts of sexual interference, seven counts of invitation to sexual touching, seven counts of unlawfully luring a child under the age of 16 by means of a computer system, seven counts of sexual assault, a single count of accessing child pornography and one other count of failing to comply with a probation order — are scheduled to be withdrawn. All charges involved the one victim.

Recently obtained, Barker told provincial court Judge Wayne Gorman she is expecting to meet with Scott again today to conclude preparations for the sentencing.

Scott had also previously refused to speak to a probation officer to compile a pre-sentence report requested by Crown attorney Alana Dwyer.

His criminal record includes a 60-day prison term for an unrelated charge of providing liquor to a male youth. It was imposed in February.

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